Old School Metal Review: DEATH - Leprosy (1988)

by Curt “Crusher” King

Man, I’ll tell ya’, I sure didn’t expect this band to quit playing hardcore Speed/Thrash Metal and wimp out, but I have the evidence right in my hands! I mean, they are one of the “Gods” of Death Metal for sure, but this stuff is completely shocking!

Well now, does that REALLY sound like a thing that a band called DEATH would do? You don’t think that I would stretch the truth a little do ya’? Ha – not I said the liar!

OK, DEATH fans, wipe that disgusted look off your face because everything I just said is true, except for the fact that they “wimped-out” (besides, you’ve probably already heard this by now as I created this when I received their advance tape -ed). Sorry, I didn’t mean to give you a heart attack folks but I did want to make you a bit angry so that you could prepare yourself for this devastating slab of gore! It doesn’t really matter how much anger you can muster up while listening though because DEATH will out-do you with intensity every time.

Track Listing:

1. “Leprosy” 6:19

2. “Born Dead” 3:25

3. “Forgotten Past” 4:33

4. “Left to Die” 4:35

5. “Pull the Plug” 4:25

6. “Open Casket” 4:53

7. “Primitive Ways” 4:20

8. “Choke on It”

 

All eight songs are pretty much in the same mold as their last album Scream Bloody Gore (1987), meaning, they still sing about death, play deadly songs and do it in the most disgusting [to some] way possible! Every track on this album will terrorize you —but in a good way of course.

People who hate this relatively “new” style of extreme/speed Metal will probably continue to turn their nose up at it, while this will easily [and instantly I might add] satisfy all worldwide Metal fans who are into REAL savage Metal!

This new album [and my opening statements] should scare you too…

 

 

 

Lineup + Info

 

Chuck Schuldiner – Guitar, Bass and Vocals

Rick Rozz – Guitar

Bill Andrews – Drums

* Terry Butler – (did not play BASS on the album, but was credited for it)

Recorded at Morrisound Recording, Tampa, Florida, USA

Produced by Dan Johnson

Engineered by Scott Burns

Mastered by Michael Fuller at Fullersound, Miami, Florida, USA

Edward Repka – Artwork

 

 

Update

Many [myself included] consider this one of the most important DEATH Metal albums ever released. It’s definitely in the top ten. Back when kiddos, you did not have a band such as this on every street corner or parents basement recording such brutal, yet accomplished Metal compositions! Kudos to Chuck (who died of brain cancer in 2001) for putting this style of music on the map and inspiring countless bands for the last several decades. A true unsung hero in the music world. He was very humble and always down-played his part in the Metal history books by stating:

“I don’t think I should take the credits for this death metal stuff. I’m just a guy from a band, and I think Death is a metal band.”

- Chuck Schuldiner

R.I.P.

May 13, 1967 – December 13, 2001